Iron stand



G. B. HIGGINS Jan. 3, 1939.

IRON STAND Filed Jan. 18, 1937 mgl,

CEPT-" y @2009@ @gyms Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PTENT GFFIQE 3 Claims.

My invention relates to iron stands, and has to do with iron stands of the type employed for supporting hand manipulated pressing or sad irons on an ironing board.

My invention is'directed to the provision of sad iron supporting means comprising a member having a tongue connected thereto by a resilient element urging said member upward about said element, such member preferably beingresilient with the tongue and the spring element formed integrally therewith, to the end of simple and inexpensive construction, means being provided for limiting downward movement of the tongue carrying member and the tongue providing means, conveniently in conjunction with a socketed attaching member, for attachment of the structure to an ironing board or like suitable support.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of my invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevational View showing one end of an ironing board with the iron stand of my invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a front elevational View of an attaching or socket member employed to secure the iron platform to the ironing board;

Figure 3 is a side elevational'view of a spring member connected between the iron platform and the socket member;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the iron platform;

Figure 5 is a plan View of the socket member of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the spring member of Figure 3.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, ID indicates one end of an ironing board of known construction, having the usual cloth covering II terminating a short distance from the transverse marginal edge thereof. The upper surface of the uncovered portion of this board receives and supports the socket member, designated generally at I2, of the present invention.

Socket member I2 is in the form of a plate and may conveniently be formed from fiat sheet metal stock, or any other suitable or preferred material. It comprises an attaching portion I3 by means of which the plate is secured to board I0, the plate seating on the upper surface of the board with the longitudinal axis of the attaching portion extending transversely thereof. Screws I4, passing through openings I5 spaced longitudinally of attaching portion I3 and disposed adja* cent the ends thereof, thread into board III and secure the plate thereto. A tongue I6, formed integrally with attaching portion I3, extends outwardly from one of its longitudinal marginal edges, and toward the transverse marginal edge of board Ill. This tongue is disposed intermediate the ends of portion I3, having a width slightly less than the length of portion I3 and a length slightly greater than the width of such portion. From portion I3, the opposite longitudinal marginal edges of the tongue extend inwardly with respect to its longitudinal axis, the tongue thereby tapering in Width toward its free end. At such point, the free end of the tongue is bent upwardly at substantially right angles to its main body portion, as indicated at il. Intermediate its ends, upturned portion I'I is relieved of metal to form an arcuate recess I8 and thereby provide a pair of upstanding and transversely disposed ears I9. As shown, the longitudinal marginal edges of tongue I6 are bent upwardly at right angles thereto and then bent inwardly to provide flanges 26 extending inwardly of the tongue for a relatively short distance. Flanges 20, in conjunction with tongue I6, form channels 2| adapted for the reception of one end of a spring member 22, the spring member being thereby detachably secured to board Ill. As the tongue tapers in width toward its free end, flanges 20, as well as channels 2|, will be disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the tongue. Preferably, member I2 is relieved of metal, as indicated at 23 and 24, both for the sake of lightness and to minimize the amount of metal in contact' with board I0.

Spring member 22 is of appreciable length and relatively narrow width and is preferably formed from resilient flat sheet metal stock, although it may be formed of any other suitable or preferred material. In form, the member is substantially channel shape, having a transverse portion 25 and depending legs 26 formed integrally with each of the opposite longitudinal marginal edges thereof. Legs 26 extend for substantially the full length of member 22= and serve to reinforce transverse portion 25 against bending. However, the legs terminate at a point adjacent one end of member 22 and, immediately at such point, the free end of transverse portion 25 is bent downwardly and rearwardly to form a tongue or leaf spring 21. This spring 2'I normally extends downwardly diagonally from portion 25, has va length approximately equal to the length Yof flanges 20 and channels 2| and is connected to the adjacent end of member 22 by an integral arcuate spring element 21a, as shown. It is adapted to engage in channels 2 I, and the longitudinal marginal edges of the leaf spring are therefore tapered in width toward its free end to conform, substantially, with the taper of tongue |6 so that upon insertion of the spring into the channels a wedging action will be set up that will effectively and rigidly secure member 22 to member |2. Preferably, transverse portion 25 of member 22 is relieved of metal, as indicated at 28 and 29, both for the sake of lightness and to more effectively dissipate any heat which may be communicated thereto by conduction from a hot iron.

Member 22 serves to support and secure an iron supporting plate 3| to board I0. Plate 3| is firmly held upon said member by means of a bolt 32. Such bolt passes through an opening 33 in plate 3| and through an opening 34 formed in bridge portion 35 of member 22. A wing nut 36, threading onto bolt 32 into abutting engagement with the under surface of plate 3|, cooperates with said bolt to clamp plate 3| and member 22 together.

Plate 3| is also preferably formed from flat sheet metal stock, preferably aluminum. The plate is of sufficient size to receive and support a conventional iron 31, indicated in dotted lines in Figure l. Iron 31 normally rests upon a pair of transversely spaced and aligned feet 38, and a third foot 39 disposed forwardly and centrally of feet 33. Each of these feet pressed upwardly from platform 4| of plate 3| and the foot 39 is preferably made pear-shaped to facilitate sliding of the iron upon the feet in the manner hereinafter described. The feet support the lower surface of the iron out of direct contact with platform 4| and provide for an air insulating space therebetween. In addition, the feet are s0 formed that they have, in effect, only point contact with the iron, thereby reducing the direct conduction of heat between the iron and the plate to a minimum. A flange 42, formed integrally with each of the longitudinal edges of platform 4| and with its rear edge, that is, the edge of the platform most remote from the board l0, extends upwardly at substantially right angles thereto. At its upper edge, the flange is turned downwardly, as indicated at 43, to provide, in effect, a bead extending around three sides of the plate thereby giving it a neat and pleasing appearance. Flange 42 extends above feet 38 and 39 for a short distance and its purpose is, of course, to prevent movement of iron 31 off of the plate in any direction except forwardly onto board I0. Both flange 42 and bead 43 terminate a short distance Ain rear of the forward transverse edge of plate 3| and, at such point, the platform 4| is inclined outwardly and downwardly, as indicated at 44. This latter portion of the platform then has its free edge bent upwardly to project forwardly horizontally for a relatively short distance, as shown at 45.

Plate 3|, member 22, and socket member I2 normally assume the position shown in Figure 1 when they are secured together, and to the board HJ, in the manner above described. When there is no weight on the plate, the spring element 21*1 will urge member 22 upward about the adjacent end thereof and hold the forward edge of the plate in engagement with the cloth and the plate will extend upwardly and rearwardly at an angle with respect to board I0. However, when an iron is placed on the plate 3|, which may be done by merely sliding the iron on the working surface of the board into contact with the inclined portion 44 of the plate, which portion will direct the iron into its proper position upon feet 38 and 39, the weight of the iron will cause the member 22 t0 be depressed against the action of spring element 21a and the platform will thereupon assume the 5 horizontal dotted line position shown in Figure 1. In this latter position, portion 45 of the platform is lifted out of contact with the cover The plate 3|, of course, becomes warm in use, and hot when the iron is seated thereon, and it is important to keep the plate away from the cover, when the iron is seated thereon, to avoid scorching thereof. Ears I9 contacting the under surface of transverse portion 25 of member 22 serve to limit downward movement of said member and plate 3|.

It will be observed that the attaching means cf the present invention permits member 22 and plate 3| to be readily removed from the ironing board so as not to interfere with the convenient stowing away of the board. Likewise, the iron stand has the greater portion thereof extending beyond the end of the ironing board and it subtracts very little from the working surface of the board. The screw 32 permits the plate 3| to be turned through an angle of 90, thereby disposing the longitudinal axis of the plate parallel to the transverse axis of the board, if the user desires to so position the plate for any reason.

While a preferred embodiment of my invention Q0 has been illustrated and described, by way of example, it will be obvious that changes may be made therein within the spirit and scope ofthe invention and, therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the form herein described, except in so far as it may so be limited in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In sad iron supporting means, an attaching member defining a socket, a supporting member provided at one end with a subjacent tongue fitting in said socket and connected to said one endof said supporting member by a spring element urging said supporting member upward about Saidone end thereof, a sad iron receiving member mounted on the upper face of said supporting member and disposed outward beyond said spring element, said receiving member being provided with a projection extending therefrom at a downward inclination over said attaching member, and means limiting downward movement of said supporting member about said one end thereof.

2. In sad iron supporting means, an attaching member defining a socket, sad iron receiving and supporting means comprising a supporting member provided at one end with a subjacent tongue fitting into said socket and connected to said one end of said supporting member by a spring element urging said supporting member upward about said one end thereof, and means for limiting downward movement of said supporting member about said one end thereof.

3. In sad iron supporting means, a sad iron receiving and supporting structure comprising a supporting member provided at one end with a subjacent tongue integrally connected to said one end by an arcuate spring element urging said member upward about said element, means for attaching said tongue to a support for said structure, and means forlimiting downward movement of said supporting member about said one end thereof.

GROVER B. HIGGINS. 

